Spectacle cases



Nov. 17, 1959 w. c. CARMIICHAEL SPEC'I'ACLE CASES Fi led Dec. 27, 1957INVEN TOR WALTER C. CARMICHAEL A TTQ/ZNEY 2,913,100 SPECTACLE CASESWalter C. Carmichael, Lexington, Mass, assignor""to American OpticalCompany, Southbridge, Mass, a"

voluntary association of Massachusetts I Application December 27, 1957,Serial No. 705,565

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-) This invention relates to spectacle cases and hasparticular reference to open-end cases formed of flexible sheetmaterial.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved open-endspectacle case formed of a single piece of flexible sheet materialfolded to form a spectacle re ceivingpocket having front,..backandbottom walls de-, tachably secured together.

A further object of the invention is to provide an openend spectaclecase of the above nature wherein the walls forming the spectaclereceiving pocket are detachably secured together without the use ofadhesives, snap fasteners or stitching.

Another object is to provide a spectacle case of this nature which maybe economically produced by using a single piece of material and aminimum of manufacturing operations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a spectacle case embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the spectacle case shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the spectacle case;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the case is formed; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view similar to Fig. 1, showing thespectacle case in partially folded condition.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designatelike parts throughout the several views, the case embodying theinvention, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in final folded and securedcondition, is formed from a single unitary piece of flexible sheetmaterial such as leather, fabric, plastic or the like which is initiallyblanked out to the shape shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 4, the blank 10, which is cut out of a sheet ofsuitable material by blanking die or the like, comprises a back wallportion 11, inner and outer front wall portions 12 and 13 respectively,extending from the opposed sides of the back wall portion 11, and abottom wall portion 14 extending from the lower end of the back wallportion 11. The portions 11, 12 and 13 are so dimensioned as to permittheir being folded into superposed relation with each other, and to bedetachably secured together to form the spectacle case embodying theinvention. The outer contour shape of the portions 11, 12 and 13 maybeof any configuration, depending on the design of case desired, andwhile these portions are shown as having straight or angularly disposedcontour lines in the drawing, they may be rounded, scalloped, etc., ifdesired.

To secure the several portions together when in folded overlyingrelation, the blank adjacent the outer edge of the front wall portion 12is provided with vertically disposed spaced slits 15 and 16 and ahorizontally disposed slit 17 adjacent the lower edge of the bottom wallportion 14, which are adapted to cooperate with the tabs 18, 19 andwhich are formed in the inner wall portion 13. The slits 15, 16 and 17and the tabs 18, 19 and 20 are preferably formed in the blank in thesame operation in which the blank is formed, but may be subsequentlyformed, if desired.

The tabs 18, 19 and 20 are substantially T-shaped with.

the width of the head of each tab greater in dimension than thelength'of the slits, 15, 16 and 17, with'which they are adapted tocooperate, and the width of the body portions thereof are substantiallythe same as the length of said slits. The T-shaped tabs 18 and 19 areformed in theblank 10 with the width of the head portion eXtend-' inginthe same direction as the slits 15 and 16 and in spaced verticalrelation with each other similar to the spacing of the slits 15 and 16.The said tabs are so located in the-wall portion 13 as to automaticallyalign the head portion ofthe tabs with the said slits when thewallportions 12 and 13 are folded inwardlyalong the dash lines 23 and 24:into overlying relation with eachotherand the back wall 11. Thetab 20,alsoformed in the wall portion 13, and which is adapted to cooperatewith the slit 17 in the-wall portion 14, is so located therein that whenthe said wall portionsar e in 1011 61 relation-witheach-. other, thesaid tab 20 will bein alignment -withthe slit 17, with the head of the Tdisposed in the same direction as said slit.

The blank 10 is provided with V-shaped notches 21 and 22 in the upperand lower contour edges between the back wall portion 11 and therespective wall portions 12 and 13, with the apices thereof located onthe lines 23 and 24 along which the wall portions are adapted to besubsequently folded. The notched portions, therefore, provide guidemeans for properly locating said fold lines 23 and 24.

In Fig. 5, the blank 10 from which the case is formed is shown inpartially folded and secured condition and particularly shows how thebottom of the case is formed. As shown, the inner front wall portion 13is first folded on the line 23 intersecting the apices of the V-shapednotches 21 into spaced overlying relationwith the back wall portion 11and the outwardly extending bottom wall portion 14 of the back wallportion 11 is then folded into overlying relation with the wall portion13 and detachably secured thereto by extending the head of the T-shapedtab 20 through the slit 17. It will also be seen that when the wallportion 13 is folded into spaced overlying relation with the back wallportion 11, that one side of the case will be closed.

After the wall portions 13 and 14 are detachably secured together,forming the bottom and one closed side of the case, the wall portion 12is folded along line 24 intersecting the apices of the V-shaped notches22, into overlying relation with the portions 11, 13 and 14 and theenlarged head portions of the tabs 18 and 19 of the wall portion 13 areinserted through the slits 15 and 16 of said wall portion 12, therebycompleting the front wall of the case and also closing in the otherside.

Itis to be understood that while the portions 12, 13 and 14 are shownand described as being folded into a particular superposed relationshipwith each other, that they may be folded in different relationship andstill be secured together in the same manner without requiring anychanges in the construction of the blank, or location of the slits andtabs. For example, the wall portion 12 may be positioned on the innerside of the front of the case and the wall portion 13 on. the outerside, or the wall portion 14 may be positioned on the inner side of thewall portion 13. This is possible, through the particular constructionof the tabs, whereby they may be extended outwardly of either surface ofthe wall portion 13.

These and other variations may be made within the scope of theinvention. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple,eflicient and economical means Patented Nov. ,17, 1959 t have beenprovided for accomplishing all the objects and advantages of theinvention;

I claim:

An open end spectacle case formed of flexible sheet material -comprisinga rectangular1y-- shaped back-- wall portion, a firstinner wall portionof a width slightly lessthan the'back wallportion connected to andextending along a fold line at one side ofand in overlying relation withsaidback' wall portion and having a relatively straight free edge insubstantially parallel relation with the'adjacent edge of the back wallportion, said back and first wall portions having a set of opposedV-shaped notches in the upper and lower edges thereof the apices'ofwhich establish the line of fold of said wall portions, said back wallportion having an integrally connected relatively-shortsubstantiallysquare bottom portion folded to overliethelower portion of said firstinner Wall portion along a line flush with the lower edge of said firstinner wall portion, said relatively short bottom portion havingahorizontally disposed slot spaced-slightly inwardlyof its'free edge,said first inner wall portion having a tab extending outwardly of a sidethereof located in aligned relation with said slot and having a neckportion overlying the end of the short bottom portion between the slotand the adjacent edge thereof, and having an enlarged head'extendinginwardly through said slot to retain said short bottom portion in saidfolded position, .a second outer wall portion of a width slightly lessthan said first inner wall port-iomconnected to and extending along afold line at the other side of said back wall portion and in overlyingrelation with said first inner wall portion and short bottom'portion,said back and second wall portions having a second set of opposednotches in the upper and lower edges thereof the apices of whichestablish the line of fold of said latter Wall portions, said secondouter wall portion having spaced vertically disposed slots located.inwardly andssubstantially parallel. with the outer References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS Belden -Apr. 19461 Hall'Apr; 13, 1948 Stegeman in Jan. 121957"

